*** News You Can Use! -- 13 November 1996 ***
At least in a test tube, nicotine appears to block the deposits that lead to Alzheimer's disease. However... "I wouldn't advise anybody to start smoking," says Michael Zagorski of Case Western Reserve University. He and his colleagues reported their results in the 22 October issue of the journal Biochemistry. Alzheimer's appears to be caused when plaque-like structures short-circuit cell-to-cell communication in the brain. And it has been known for some time that nicotine binds to the same brain receptors implicated in Alzheimer's disease. Add to that, last year's study that indicated nicotine strengthened cell-to-cell communication (possibly explaining nicotine's addictive properties). These findings may shed light on earlier studies which suggested that smokers may be less susceptible to Alzheimer's, but researchers bent over backward to point out this is not an excuse to begin or continue smoking. Tobacco giant Philip Morris U.S.A. supported the research, but by no means on their own. The study was also supported by the Alzheimer's Association, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and others. (USA Today, 23 October 1996; Associated Press, 22 October)
See the CNN story.
Health authorities in the Detroit area are bracing for more cases of Legionnaires' disease, after the respiratory ailment killed three and sickened more than 20. They're beginning the long arduous task of pinpointing the source of the outbreak. So far, health investigators think that the victims all lived, worked, or passed through a 6 square mile area of Farmington and Farminton Hills, two Oakland County communities northwest of Detroit. It appears the victims were exposed to the disease in late September, and more cases are possible. Most of the victims were elderly. Legionnaires' disease is not contagious. Usually, the disease is contracted by inhaling airborne water droplets containing the bacteria that causes the disease. Investigators are focusing on cooling towers that hold water for air conditioners in commercial buildings in the suspect area. Water samples from 47 cooling units are being analyzed at a state laboratory. As of 12 November, scientists had yet to pinpoint the source of the outbreak. (Associated Press, 25 October 1996, 21 October, 19 October; Broadcast News, 25 October)
A new study out of Hebrew University in Israel suggests that children who eat 30 minutes before school will do better on tests than those who eat two hours before. And foods that raise blood sugar, such as sweetened cereal, might boost mental sharpness. This study builds on a 1994 Tufts University study which found that children who ate breakfast had better test scores than those who hadn't. Researchers say more studies are needed to draw a stronger correlation between what food you eat, and when, and scholastic performance. (Associated Press, 15 October 1996)
A study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine says that women who have had major depression also have weaker bones. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health compared 24 women who suffered major depression at some point with 24 mentally healthy women. On average, the depressed women had bone mineral density six percent lower in the spine, and up to 14 percent lower in the hip. What the researchers could not explain is why. They speculated that it could have something to do with eating habits, physical activity or hormone secretions. (Associated Press, 16 October 1996)
Researchers at Onyx Pharmaceuticals in Richmond, California, say they have a cancer-killing virus, and they constructed it out of a virus that causes the common cold. The scientists re-shuffled the genes within the virus to create their "smart bomb." The therapy is already being tested on humans. The researchers say experiments involving mice show that their altered cold virus can attack and kill certain cancer cells. The findings are published in the journal "Science." (Associated Press, 17 October 1996)
Lower-than-projected spending has forced the United States Health and Human Services Department to raise the monthly Medicare Part B premium to $43.80. The increase of just over three percent is the smallest hike since 1990. Medicare Part A deductibles are rising by 24 dollars to $760.
An advocacy group is warning about the rising cost of Medigap health insurance policies. Families USA says the cost of filling in the gaps in Medicare coverage jumped 20 to 40 percent in the past year. The group calls that a "threatening prospect" for the three-quarters of American senior citizens who have Medigap policies. They warn that the higher prices will force seniors to cancel those supplemental policies, just when there's talk of possible Medicare cutbacks. (Associated Press, 19 October 1996, 24 October)
Will your pre-disposition to disease cost you your health insurance? That's the ethical dilemma just emerging in the wake of an explosion of genetic research. A study in the journal "Science" found that 47% of people who were asked on health insurance applications about genetic diseases, didn't get coverage. So even as more genetic tests emerge to predict inherited diseases and conditions, that information may be used to discriminate against the people who need the coverage the most. A task force is now drawing up recommendations as to whether the United States government should regulate the tests, and/or forbid genetic discrimination by insurance companies. (Associated Press, 24 October 1996)
- A new study disputes the recent suggestion that magnetic fields created by high-voltage lines increase the risk of cancer. Reporting in the British Medical Journal, researchers from Finland studied nearly 400,000 people. They found almost no difference in the incidence of cancer among adults living within 500 yards of overhead power lines, when compared with the population as a whole. (Associated Press, 26 October 1996)
- See the CNN story.
- You may not need it, but you now have a road map of the human body's genes available on the Internet. The gene map pinpoints the locations of 16,000 genes in the body's chromosomes. The genes mapped represent about 16 to 20 percent of those in the body. (Associated Press, 24 October 1996)
- How useful are those $500 custom-made shoe inserts to relieve heel pain? They're good, but a company that sells over-the-counter pads for about ten bucks financed a study that says their pads are just as effective. Researchers studied 236 people who suffer from plantar fasciitis, a pain that makes it feel like you've got a sharp stone in your shoe. (Associated Press, 26 September 1996)
- Tired of reading about cutting fat out of your diet? Here's a story to make you feel better about your eating habits. In Sudan, there's a tribe called the Dinkas, and they just held an unusual competition. Two dozen of the fattest men you're likely to see assembled in one place showed off their naked bodies. Why? Good question. To attract women. Obesity is a sign of wealth, to show that their family's cattle herd is so big, they can spare the extra milk. So the men drink milk -- lots of it. For more than three months, these guys gorge themselves on milk, spiked with cow urine, to become the most opulently obese. (Associated Press, 26 October 1996)
STB's News You Can Use! edited and written by --
Tom Connolly, for Infant Moose Web Page Creations.
Past newsletters: 6 October 1996 | 28 September 1996 | 14 September 1996 | 7 September 1996 | 31 August 1996 | 24 August 1996 | 17 August 1996 | 9 August 1996 | 2 August 1996 | 25 July 1996 | 18 July 1996 | 11 July 1996 | 3 July 1996 | 26 June 1996 | 20 June 1996 | 12 June 1996 | 6 June 1996 | 31 May 1996 | 25 May 1996 | 16 May 1996 | 9 May 1996
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